There’s a real buzz about Batu Bolong. Pretty much everything out there in the magical kingdom of Google raves about the super surf, trendy boutiques, cool cafes, fantastic food, seriously sensational spas and the hipster-vibe that’s more Byron Bay than Bali. And they’d be right!
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Digital Nomad on a global quest to escape the ‘rat-race’ and live life on your terms, or a restaurateur-entrepreneur with a mission to revolutionize taste bud experiences, or the more traditional 2.4 kid family with a steady job and financial commitments to keep, Batu Bolong is a serious option.
But be warned. Seminyak used to have the same vibe not so long ago. Some might argue that its popularity wasn’t such a good thing because that led directly to its over-development as everyone and their driver’s gardener wanted to cash in on a steady stream of visitors willing to pay top dollar. A seemingly endless stream of golden opportunity followed. Word on the street is Batu Bolong has all the potential to follow suit. For some that presents opportunity. For others it’s the kiss of death.
For those of you new to the area, Batu Bolong is between Echo Beach to the north and Berawa to the south. It’s a very defined area which stretches along the main road from Batu Bolong beach as far as Jalan Raya Canggu. The area’s popularity is because of this road; more importantly where this road goes.
Like Kuta, Batu Bolong and neighboring Echo Beach are surfing Meccas. But unlike its neighbor to the south, Batu Bolong doesn’t have a traditional village at the heart of things, even though there is a temple on the beach. That’s significant, because without that village and the culture associated with it there isn’t the same extended family or temple claims on land that an area like Pererenan, has, for example. And that lends itself very much to more commercial real estate opportunities than residential. But both options are available.
Restaurants and cafes spring up almost overnight, home stays, bed and breakfasts, hotels, spas, long and short-term villa rentals and Airbnb’s all offer great potential for those looking to make some good money by focusing on a growing number of people interested in either visiting or living in the area.
Land prices clearly reflect this. Expect to pay between IDR 1.2 – 1.4 billion per are (an “are” is 100 square meters). Further inland and away from the beach it’s closer to the IDR 800 million mark. As more people and more business arrive these figures will climb. Maybe not to the dizzying heights of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak … at least not yet, but stranger things have happened in paradise.
If you’d like more information about villas in Batu Bolong email hello@sevenstonesindonesia.com
